1) As much as I like what Willie Bloomquist brings to the table to for the Mariners, it was a bit of a headscratcher watching him stroll to the plate as a pinch-hitter for a middle-of-the-order hitter (DH Jeff Clement) with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning on Wednesday. The M’s had a runner on first and trailed 2-0. With Richie Sexson (family reasons) and Jose Vidro (back spasms) unavailable, it only shows how weak the M’s bench is. The M’s need a valuable utility player like Willie – but the Port Orchard native is not the guy you want to turn to in that situation.
2) I wonder if our Navy community will get out and support the Naval Academy in next week’s NCAA West Regional Golf Tournament at Gold Mountain Golf Club. The Mids, the Patriot League champs, earned an automatic berth and will be one of 27 teams participating. It’d be kind of cool to see a bunch of men and women in uniform following the Navy golfers around the course.
3) Is it just me, or is anyone else grossed out by the single sanican that fans have to use when they go to ballgames at Bremerton’s Legion Field? Isn’t it time for somebody to spearhead a drive to build a long-overdue concession stand/restroom facility for the Bremerton School District-owned park?
4) The Shaun Alexander Tour has begun. The free-agent runningback visted the Bengals on Sunday and Saints on Wednesday. The Broncos are also reportedly interested in talking with the former league MVP, who was released by the Seahawks last month. I don’t really understand why anybody would be interested in a 31-year-old coming off his two worst seasons. On top of that, he battled wrist and knee and ankle problems. If he’s healthy, maybe he returns to form? But at his age, that’s a big IF.
5) Reading about Betty Hyde’s impending retirement as
superintendent of the Bremerton School District rekindled an old
idea. I’m sure there’s a lot of reasons why this isn’t a good idea,
but on the surface, it seems to me that the Central Kitsap and
Bremerton schools should be combined into one school district. They
do it in Vancouver, Tacoma, Seattle and other cities.
We can cut back some of the bureaucracy, and save the taxpayers
some money. It would be interesting to know many kids with
Bremerton addresses attend CK schools. We’d have four high schools
– Bremerton, Central Kitsap, Olympic, Klahowya – and an opportunity
to share facilities and other resources for citizens throughout the
Bremerton/CK region. Just a thought. Anybody think it might be
worth looking into?
I never have understood the need to have Bloomquist. He has no power. He would be good on a team that has power, or at least more useful. Guys like him are a dime a dozen, and can be purchased at any AA or AAA club.
Central Kitsap Schools are pretty good, Bremerton schools are pitiful. Don’t drag CK down to Bremertons level.
Of COURSE, combining Silverdale and Bremerton schools make sense…thanks for bringing it up!
…”…four high schools – Bremerton, Central Kitsap, Olympic, Klahowya -…opportunity to share facilities and other resources for citizens throughout the Bremerton/CK region…”
I can’t think of one reason not to combine…but the teachers union is bound to have objections…unless we give them control to run it in the same inefficient manner they politically control and run the public education system in the United States.
I think the Timbucktwo education system ranks above ours as do most educational systems in other countries.
Seriously… should we petition for a petition to join schools using old fashioned common sense reasons?
Thanks for bringing it up, Chuck, and to Steven for mentioning your comment.
Sharon O’Hara
Economy of scale for school districts seems to have a mid-range. If you take a look at the OSPI website here…
http://www.k12.wa.us/safs/PUB/FIN/0607/Excel%20reports%20for%20web%20posting/Exp_Rev_FB_Enr.xls
You will see in districts with more than 1000 students, the three largest school districts in the state (Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma – respectively) are in the top ten for expenditures per pupil. Seattle, in fact, takes top billing for all school districts with 1000+ students; spending $10,515.48 per pupil. The statewide average is $8692.00. These are FY06-07 figures.
So, being larger may not mean you are more economical. Some might argue that there is more waste in larger districts. Perhaps, but that leads to another reason you want to think carefully before combining into larger districts than we already have here in Kitsap County…
Local control. Individual taxpayers and families have greater local control of a school district when that district is smaller. More control in levy and bond priorities, more control in the direction of the district, greater flexibility in dealing with education issues as they come up in the community.
As a taxpayer, I’m not convinced that larger is better in school district finances. As a community member and a parent, I also prefer a larger voice in a smaller pond when it comes to policy issues, student achievement priorities, and curriculum decisions.
I also believe that a school board member is in better touch with the needs of their students and community when they are one of five in a district with 10,000 students than one of five (or even seven) in a district with 20,000+ students.
Regards,
Kathryn Simpson
Legion field is one of the few baseball fields we have in our community.
It is shared by OC, Bremerton HS, Bremerton Babe Ruth, Post 68 Jr & Sr Legion Summer Teams, and now a Adult Baseball League.
It’s time to preserve this field, put in bathrooms, with joint funds from both OC, Bremerton School District and the community.
I also believe the infield should get state of the art turf, as currently the facility is way overused to keep it a gem.
If Legion field doesn’t have bathrooms for the players and fans… I’d say its overdue.
I love baseball and think it is more a ‘family’ sport than any other big league sport.
Family picnics at state or county parks usually include different generations of a family playing a friendly game of baseball at the park or play field.
Moms, dads, grandparents…most played baseball as children..and many feel young enough to play it again.
The people using the field should also pay to maintain and improve it. … the interested public would pitch in too.
Many foreign countries have large classrooms…larger than here, yet beat us scholastically… the same with money we throw at our failing educational system.
Other countries are ahead of us when their educational systems has more students per teacher and far less money.
Why is that?
Do they have more teachers who know how to teach?
Do they lack the teachers union we have here?
Our teachers union…largest political union in this country – yet produce mediocre students uninspired by the teachers who can’t teach…and might oneday turn our country into a third world country through the poor education of our students.
The teachers union…who refused the Microsoft Foundation offer to pay each teacher $100. extra for every proficient student they produced.
The teachers union said no. They don’t seem interested in paying teachers their worth. The teachers union thrives and gets stronger using mediocre teachers who need tenure to keep a job and a teachers union forcing EVERY teacher to be a member in order to teach.
A teachers union so afraid of the successful home schooling they’re fighting to end home schooling and educated students.
So. As I see it…A school board membership dedicated to learning and without a teachers union member seems a good candidate to oversee – successfully oversee – almost any size school district. In my opinion…if the goal is to teach students… students will be taught.
Sharon O’Hara